Celebrate National Authors’ Day at the New Bedford Whaling Museum!

Join the New Bedford Whaling Museum and Write With Community for a special celebration of National Authors’ Day, honoring the writers, artists, and storytellers whose work inspires creativity, preserves cultural heritage, and brings stories to life.

Write With Community is a nonprofit literary organization serving writers across the South Coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. writewithcommunity.org.

Observed annually on November 1, National Authors’ Day recognizes the power of the written word and the voices that shape our understanding of the world. This year's celebration takes on special meaning alongside the Museum's exhibition, Boundless: The Book as Art, on view in the Wattles Family Gallery.

Exploring the book as both a vessel for storytelling and a work of art, Boundless brings together rare and historic volumes from the Museum's collection with innovative works by contemporary artists. From intricate illustrations and traditional bookbinding to imaginative sculptural forms, the exhibition invites visitors to consider how words, images, materials, and design come together to communicate ideas and inspire new perspectives.

Building on these themes, National Authors’ Day offers opportunities to connect informally with local and regional writers, explore the creative process, and celebrate the many ways stories are imagined, written, illustrated, and shared.

Enjoy engaging conversations with authors, a hands-on writing workshop, book signings, and a special pop-up book sale featuring selections from the Museum Store.

Featured Authors

● Gail Braccidiferro MacDonald, Abolitionists of the Northeast: Black Leaders in the Antislavery Movement

● Elizabeth Sylvia, Scythe and None But Witches

● Melinda Green, Marjory O’Toole, and Linda Coombs, contributors to Reconnections (Sakonnet History Project, Little Compton Historical Society)

Schedule of Events

11:00 AM–12:00 PM | Authors’ Conversation

Wattles Family Gallery

Join five participating authors for an informal, interactive conversation exploring writing, storytelling, creativity, and the inspiration behind their work. Set within Boundless: The Book as Art, this gathering offers a unique opportunity to reflect on the relationship between the written word and the physical book, surrounded by works that challenge traditional ideas of bookmaking.

Rather than a traditional panel discussion, this welcoming conversation encourages questions, dialogue, and meaningful connections between authors and attendees.

12:00–1:00 PM | Lunch Break

Participants are encouraged to explore nearby downtown New Bedford restaurants and cafés during the break. Please note that food and beverages are not permitted inside the Museum galleries.

1:00–2:00 PM | New Bedford Place-Based Experiential Workshop

Media Lab

Stories rooted in place. Writing rooted in community.

Presented by Write With Community, this hands-on workshop invites participants to write, explore, and connect through guided prompts inspired by New Bedford and the South Coast. Drawing on the spirit of WWC’s place-based anthologies Waterscapes and The Landscape About Us, participants can move between short, self-paced writing activities.

Writers of all experience levels are welcome.

2:00-3:00PM | Meet the Authors & Book Signings

Jacobs Family Gallery

Meet participating authors, learn about their work, and have books signed. These informal encounters offer a chance to connect with the writers and storytellers who bring history, culture, and imagination to life.

Pop-Up Museum Book Sale

Museum Store & Jacobs Family Gallery | Throughout the day

Browse a specially curated selection of titles from the Museum Store, including maritime history, whaling adventures, regional and coastal culture, and illustrated books for children and adults.

Complementing the themes of Boundless, the pop-up sale celebrates books as sources of knowledge, creativity, and artistic expression.

Explore the Exhibition: Boundless: The Book as Art

Wattles Family Gallery | On view October 16, 2026–February 15, 2027

While visiting, discover Boundless: The Book as Art, an exhibition that reimagines what a book can be.

Featuring historic treasures from the Museum's extensive library alongside contemporary artist books, the exhibition explores nearly 500 years of bookmaking, highlighting the artistry of printing, typography, illustration, papermaking, and bookbinding. Visitors will encounter everything from rare natural history publications and illustrated maritime works to inventive contemporary creations that transform books into sculptural and interactive objects.

Together, the exhibition and National Authors’ Day programming celebrate the enduring power of books—not only for the stories they tell, but also for the artistry, imagination, and craftsmanship that bring them to life.

Admission

All National Authors’ Day activities are included with regular Museum admission and are free for Museum members.

Whether you're an avid reader, an aspiring writer, an art enthusiast, or simply curious about the creative process, join us for a day celebrating storytelling, community, and the boundless possibilities of the written word.